Newton & Anderson relegated as Thorton overcomes Taylor

Wes Newton and Gary Anderson were relegated from the McCoy's Premier League Darts on Judgement Night at the Brighton Centre on Thursday, as Robert Thornton's dream season continued with victory over Phil Taylor.

Newton and Anderson entered the ninth league night in the ten-player tournament knowing that they had to gain a result from their games with Andy Hamilton and James Wade if they were to avoid elimination at the expense of Adrian Lewis or Simon Whitlock.

However, both suffered losses as they drop out of the event, leaving the remaining eight players to battle for places in the top four over the next five weeks ahead of May's Play-Offs.

Newton, a Premier League debutant this season, went down 7-5 to Hamilton as the Stoke ace produced a key mid-game surge from 3-2 down to 5-3 ahead as he picked up his fifth win of the season.

"I'm really gutted, not only to be going out of the Premier League but that I didn't perform tonight," said Newton. "It was a big game for me and I knew I had to win, and I was trying my best."

"I came into tonight playing really well after winning the European Darts Trophy at the weekend and my confidence was high. I wasn't nervous but the scores just didn't go in."

"As a whole, my scoring just wasn't there and, when I'm on form, that's usually the best part of the game. I've loved every minute of the Premier League and it's been the highlight of my career, and I've just got to focus now on the rest of the year."

Hamilton added: "There was a lot of pressure tonight and, as much as I like Wes, I had to go out and do my job. I was relaxed and comfortable and I did what I needed to do."

"I want to push for the Play-Offs and this two points puts me in the mix again. I'm here for the duration and I'm going to do my best to get into the top four in the remaining games."

Anderson, meanwhile, was defeated 7-3 by 2009 champion Wade to mean that he will finish bottom of the table for a second successive season - despite being champion in 2011.

"It's been a frustrating season," said Anderson. "I played okay tonight but James took some good finishes out at the right time for him and that proved the difference."

"I've struggled for about a year and my game's there in practice but for some reason it's not quite there on stage - I'm throwing games away, but when it comes right I'll not be throwing them away."

Wade's victory - despite having been laid low with a chest infection and gastroenteritis last weekend - keeps him amongst the league leaders alongside Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen on 12 points at the top of the table.

"I'm very happy with that," said Wade, who hit finishes of 124 and 120 in the game. "It was a battle and the important thing was that I came out on top, and I showed at times why finishing's the easy part of the game."

"I can still improve on this performance and it's good to still be in the top four at this stage of the season."

Van Barneveld had kicked off the night in Brighton with a superb display of finishing as he defeated Adrian Lewis 7-2 - a result which left the two-time World Champion sweating on his own place in the tournament for a while.

Lewis had hit five 180s in the game but missed ten darts at a double, and van Barneveld won five of the game's final six legs to claim the points.

"I hit some really crucial doubles with my last dart and I'm very pleased with that," said van Barneveld.

"Adrian missed a lot of doubles and maybe if he'd hit them I would have been 5-2 or 6-2 down, but it was the same for me last week against Phil Taylor."

"I'm really happy to have won again and now we're into the final five weeks and we'll all be playing to get into the Play-Offs. I was really looking forward to this match because the Premier League's a greatcompetition this year."

The subsequent defeats for Newton and Anderson secured Lewis' place in the tournament, and after losing his first four games before regaining his form, the world number three said: "I'm relieved to still bein the tournament and I want to kick on now."

"Raymond's finishing was great tonight and although I outscored him, I couldn't find the doubles and he deserved to win. In the last four weeks I've been scoring okay and hit my doubles, so it's annoying tonight not to hit my finishes when my scoring was good."

"I've got to take the positives out of this, though, and I'm going to push on now with my challenge to make the Play-Offs."

Australian star Whitlock also avoided the threat of relegation after Newton and Anderson's defeats, meaning that he remains in the tournament despite a 7-3 loss to van Gerwen.

The Dutchman raced into a 6-1 lead in their clash before Whitlock finished 130 and 90 to hit back, but van Gerwen went on to claim his fifth victory of the season.

"I think I played a very solid game and I did very well," said van Gerwen. "I expected to play a better Simon but it was hard for him tonight because he had the pressure off him of qualifying for the rest ofthe Premier League."

"I'm top of the table and I'm very proud of that, but I want to stay there and that will be very hard because we have seven games to go, and I'll try to win them all."

The night's only game which did not feature any players involved in the relegation scrap saw Scotland's Robert Thornton continue his brilliant debut campaign with a thrilling 7-4 win over reigning champion Phil Taylor.

Taylor hit back from 3-1 down early on to level, but paid for missed doubles in the next two legs as Thornton regained command before going on to seal victory with an 11-dart finish - meaning that he moves above the World Champion into fourth place in the table.

"It was a great game and I'm delighted to have won," said Thornton. "I've had some classics with Phil and there was no pressure on us tonight so we could go on stage and enjoy the game.

"I've got to look at the Play-Offs now because of how I'm playing, so I hope I can keep it going for the next five weeks and make the top four. I'm very proud to be where I am in the table and this week ranks amongst the best nights in my career."

The tournament will continue at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield next Thursday, which is the first of three successive league nights which will feature six games, before the final two league nights see five matches take place before the top four players progress to the Play-Offs on May 16.

Following his victory, van Gerwen has been installed as the 2/1 favourite to win the McCoy's Premier League Darts with Coral, the tournament's official betting partner.

Taylor is the 9/4 second favourite, with Raymond van Barneveld priced at 11/2 and Wade 7/1 to win a second Premier League title.

Thornton is 9/1 to take victory in his debut Premier League season, while Hamilton is 20/1, Lewis is 25/1 and Whitlock is the 33/1 outsider.

Adrian Lewis v Raymond van Barneveld0-0 - Adrian Lewis will throw first0-1 - Lewis is first to a finish, but misses double six to take out 71 and van Barneveld lands double ten to break in the opener.0-2 - Lewis hits a 180 to leave 74, but again van Barneveld hits double ten as he moves two legs up.1-2 - Lewis wins his first leg by posting double 121-3 - Lewis is again left waiting on a finish, this time leaving 40, as van Barneveld hits double nine to regain his cushion - increasing the tension on the two-time World Champion.1-4 - Lewis hits a 180, but misses five darts at doubles across three visits, allowing the Dutchman back from three misses at tops to eventually hit the same bed and break throw again.2-4 - The Stoke ace hits a third maximum of the game, and hits back on double ten.2-5 - Lewis opens with a 180 before van Barneveld replies in kind, and when the Stoke star misses the bull to take out 124, his opponent hits the same bed for a 121 checkout and a 12-darter.2-6 - Lewis hits his fifth 180 of the game, but misses double 18 and double nine and is again punished, as van Barneveld takes out 88 for a 14-darter on double 14.2-7 - van Barneveld seals the win in style, hitting a 180 and finishing double eight for another 14-darter, with both players ending the game with ton-plus averages - but Lewis only 2/12 on his doubles.Adrian Lewis is still in the battle to avoid relegation and must rely on other results

Phil Taylor v Robert Thornton0-0 - Phil Taylor will throw first0-1 - Thornton makes a fine start by breaking throw with an 11-darter, finishing 61.1-1 - Taylor hits back to level by finishing 80.1-2 - Thornton breaks again, this time taking out 100 with his opponent waiting on 52.1-3 - Taylor misses darts at double 18 and nine to finish 96, and Thornton pins double 14 to move two clear.2-3 - Taylor opens with a 180, with Thornton replying with two maximums of his own to set up a possible nine-darter - and when he is unable to take out the 141 finish, Taylor checks out 100 with single 20 and two double tops to hit back in style with a 12-darter.3-3 - Thornton misses a dart at the bullseye, and Taylor takes out 96 in two darts to level.3-4 - Thornton lands a 180, with Taylor replying with a 177 but missing double 19 to finish 98 to allow the Scot in on tops to edge back ahead.3-5 - Taylor hits a 180 to leave 39, but is unable to punish a miss from Thornton at tops as he misses double 16 and eight, allowing the Scot to hit double ten to move two legs clear again.4-5 - Taylor misses tops, but Thornton cannot land double 18 to take out 116 and the reigning champion finishes double five with his third dart to edge the leg.4-6 - Thornton hits a 171 to leave 24, and although he initially misses three darts for the leg, another missed tops from Taylor enables him to return and finish double two to ensure a point.4-7 - Thornton scores 180, 135 and 130 to leave 56 after nine darts, and hits tops for an 11-darter to seal a precious victory over the reigning champion.

Wes Newton v Andy Hamilton0-0 - Wes Newton will throw first - and knows that a 7-2 win will see him secure safety.1-0 - Newton opens confidently, hitting a 14-darter to lead.1-1 - Hamilton lands a 180 and finishes tops for a 13-darter to level.2-1 - Double 16 sees Newton edge back ahead.2-2 - Hamilton posts a 180 and finishes 68 to level.3-2 - Newton hits his first maximum of the game, and double 18 moves him back ahead.3-3 - Hamilton finishes 94 on double ten to level, meaning that Newton cannot secure his Premier League survival in the game.3-4 - Newton hits a 180, but misses double ten for a 128 finish, and Hamilton takes out 48 on double eight to break for the first time.3-5 - Hamilton lands a third maximum of the game, and double eight moves him two legs clear.4-5 - Newton posts a 180 but initially misses tops, only for Hamilton to miss tops for a 107 finish - which would have secured a draw - to allow the Fleetwood man back in on double ten.4-6 - Newton misses tops to level the game, and Hamilton seals at least a point by hitting the same bed.5-6 - Newton keeps his Premier League hopes alive with a 102 checkout, ending on double 16 - he needs to win the deciding leg to grab a point and move level with Simon Whitlock.5-7 - Hamilton opens with a 180, and Newton can only reply with 30 and 45, with the Stoke ace first to a finish as he takes out 64 on double 16 to defeat Newton and end the Fleetwood star's debut McCoy's Premier League season after nine weeks.Wes Newton Is Relegated

Gary Anderson v James Wade0-0 - Gary Anderson will throw first - and knows that a 7-4 win would secure McCoy's Premier League Darts survival.1-0 - Anderson opens the game with a 180 and leaves 32 after 12 darts - and although he initially misses four doubles, he lands double four to win the opener.1-1 - Wade posts double top to level the game.1-2 - Anderson misses double top and double ten and Wade punishes him by landing double ten to break throw.2-2 - Anderson hits a 180 and then finishes 121 on the bullseye.2-3 - Anderson lands his third 180 of the game, before Wade replies in kind - and the left-hander then takes out 124 on double 11 to break throw.2-4 - Wade lands another maximum and posts double ten for a two-leg cushion.3-4 - Anderson scores 140, 140, 180 and takes out double 16 for a sparkling 11-darter.3-5 - Anderson lands a 180 but misses the bull, and Wade hits double ten to win a fifth leg.3-6 - Tops from Wade sees him secure at least a point and put Anderson on the brink of elimination.3-7 - Wade finishes 120 to pick up a fine win and eliminate Anderson from the tournament.Gary Anderson Is Relegated

Michael van Gerwen v Simon Whitlock0-0 - Michael van Gerwen will throw first1-0 - van Gerwen takes out double 12 for a 13-darter to win the opening leg.2-0 - The Dutchman doubles his lead by breaking throw in 14 darts with a 64 finish.3-0 - Another 13-darter, this time ended on double 16, sees van Gerwen move three legs clear.3-1 - Whitlock takes out 56 to win his first leg of the game.4-1 - van Gerwen takes out another 13-dart leg as he regains his cushion.5-1 - Three ton-plus scores put van Gerwen ahead, and he has enough of a gap to initially miss his doubles before closing out another break of throw.6-1 - Van Gerwen finishes 24 for a 14-darter to ensure a minimum of a draw.6-2 - Whitlock hits a 180 and takes out 130 for a 12-darter to respond in style.6-3 - The Australian's resurgence continues as he finishes 90 in two darts to hit back.7-3 - Van Gerwen posts his third 180 of the game in reply to a maximum from Whitlock, and the Dutchman finishes 64 for a 12-darter to seal the win.

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